Monday, January 30, 2017

Turn Key Thursday: A HW Alternative

While recently visiting a #WeArePlainedge Grade 4 classroom, the teacher, Cara Newman, and her students excitedly started telling me about all the exciting things happening in their classroom. They told me about the book talks they were having, the literary essays they were about to begin writing, the independent reading books they were immersed in, the Genius Hour projects they were just starting and how excited they were to share their HW. Excited about HW? Excited to show off HW? Hmmmm.... Needless to say, I didn't want to squash their enthusiasm with my own personal feelings about HW so I just smiled. If anyone has read my blog posts (here and here), seen my social media posts or just spoken to me in person, you know my position on HW... I'm not necessarily the biggest fan. That being said, I wanted to hear more from these kids - I needed to know why they were so excited about doing their HW. That is when they told me all about Turnkey Thursday!What is Turnkey Thursday you ask? Well, I could never do it justice so I asked the kids to write a guest post for me where they explained it and here is what they generated... their first ever blog post...

What is TurnKey Thursday? How does it work? Why do you do
it? Can students really teach others? Have you ever wanted homework that was
fun? Or to be able to create a keynote, song, scratch game, or maybe even a
dance about the material you learned in class? All of this is possible with TurnKey
Thursday. All classrooms should have TurnKey Thursday because kids can teach
their family members, it is fun, and most of all it helps students to become
better learners.

All classrooms should have TurnKey Thursday. All classrooms
should have TurnKey Thursday because kids can teach their parents so they stop
saying, “I don’t know what that is!” Mrs. Stella is a parent who said, “As a
parent it is very hard for us to help our children because they are learning so
differently than we did. We stayed in box, kids today learn outside the box.”
This shows it is very hard for parents to help their children with homework.
Instead kids can help their parents! Alec says, “You could teach your
parents the way your teachers teach you. Also, you could make a test or quiz
for them at the beginning or end of every new chapter.” If you teach your
parents, they will understand the concept that you are learning so in the
future your parents will be able to help you. It would be great to teach your
parents so they don’t say, “I didn’t learn this way when I was younger.” As
kids it is hard to learn differently that our parents did. When we ask for help
they can’t help us and get frustrated. Having Turn Key Thursday takes this
frustration away!

All classrooms should have TurnKey Thursday because it is
fun! TurnKey Thursday is fun because you can use your imagination and
creativity. For example, when learning about Prime and Composite numbers students
made a song about it. The two students changed the “Cup” song into a prime and
composite song. They used their imagination and even gave the lyrics to the
class! Now the class is having fun as well. This shows that Turn Key Thursday
is fun!

Ryan said, “It is fun because you get to be a teacher just
like Mrs. Newman and Dr. Sinanis. You also have to remember what you learned
that week. It is pretty much fun homework even though you have to remember the
work learned. You don’t realize it but you are really learning.”

All classrooms should have TurnKey Thursday because it helps
students to become better learners. It helps students to become better learners
because they have to know the material, to teach the material. It helps
students to become better learners because they want to pay attention so they can be
a good teacher themselves. It helps students to become better learners because
they need to practice what they are going to teach. While they are practicing,
they are learning. Gino feels its makes him a better student because it makes
him study harder, so he can teach someone else.

In conclusion, children should have Turn Key Thursday because
family members can learn from them, it is fun, and most of all children become
better learners. We hope you try Turn Key Thursday and explore all its
possibilities!

So, what do you think about Turnkey Thursday? Are you convinced that it is worth a try? Leave a comment below and let us know!

3 comments:

My son loves Thursdays for this reason. He plans out the lesson and you can see him using the strategies he was taught. He is taking ownership of his learning and he is so enthusiastic about it. He came home the first night and typed a test for us to take. He thoroughly plans the lesson and I feel like this assignment is meaningful and has purpose. As a parent and an educator, I can truly see the benefits of Turnkey Thursdays.

Stop using the tools of business to quantify student, teacher, and school "success"--and then wringing our hands over the commodification of education and the feelings of entitlement in students & parents.

A Lead Learner at #WeArePlainedge for Learning & Teaching; former Lead Learner at #Cantiague Elementary- 2012 National Blue Ribbon School; 2013 Bammy Award for Elementary School Principal of the Year and 2014 New York State Elementary School Principal of the Year, proud dad, passionate educator; national speaker; EdD from Penn; blogger; author (Hacking Leadership); lover of everything literacy, technology, Jets, Mets and laughter!